Rep. W. Gregory Steube

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal agencies from entering new contracts with companies that boycott Israel after January 1, 2024. Companies must certify they are not boycotting Israel at contract signing, and contracts must include this prohibition. It applies to federal contracts over $100,000 for services or IT with companies employing more than 10 people. If a company violates the boycott prohibition, the agency must terminate the contract after 30 days unless the company ends the boycott. The bill explicitly states it does not infringe on First Amendment rights or take sides on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires voters in Washington, D.C., to present photo identification to vote in person or submit a copy with absentee applications, and to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Acceptable ID includes DC driver's licenses, passports, military IDs, tribal IDs, student IDs from schools, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The bill mandates free ID issuance for low-income voters, accommodates religious objections with alternative IDs, and requires election officials to include voter photos in poll books while protecting privacy. It applies to all D.C. elections, including local, federal, and ballot initiatives, and modifies the Help America Vote Act to implement these changes.

Maddy summaryHRES 575 is a non-binding House resolution urging Congress to restore the Department of Defense's "merit-based" personnel practices for recruiting, training, promoting, and retaining military members. It criticizes current policies it claims prioritize diversity metrics over performance, mandatory unconscious bias training, and gender-neutral language requirements as undermining military effectiveness. The resolution specifically calls for ending these practices and returning to a system focused solely on individual merit and a "warrior ethos." It also credits the Florida legislature for passing a related memorial resolution (SM 1382), though the bill itself does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals or programs.

Maddy summaryHR 4398, the "Patriotism Not Pride Act," prohibits federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to support or promote Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQ+) Pride Month activities, including events, communications, or educational programs. It also bans the display of any flag representing sexual orientation or gender identity on federal property or grounds. The bill applies to all federal agencies as defined in U.S. law and directly affects how agencies manage public communications and property. This is a procedural measure restricting specific federal activities, not a substantive policy change.

Maddy summaryHR 4323 delays any changes to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) current rule limiting ship speeds to protect North Atlantic right whales. The bill requires NOAA to wait until two conditions are met: (1) new whale protection protocols from the 2022 Coast Guard Act are fully developed and deployed, and (2) the Secretary submits a report to four congressional committees detailing how those protocols will shape future rule updates. This directly affects NOAA's regulatory authority and vessel operators who must follow the existing speed rules. The law does not change the current rule but pauses any amendments until these specific steps are completed.

Maddy summaryHR 4355, the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, modifies the Internal Revenue Code to exclude certain loan repayment or forgiveness assistance from taxable income. It specifically adds programs under the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 and similar state initiatives - designed to boost veterinary services in rural areas - to the list of tax-exempt benefits. This directly affects veterinary students participating in these state or federal programs who work in underserved rural communities. The change takes effect for assistance received in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023.

Maddy summaryHR 4300, the Real Emergencies Act, prohibits the President from declaring national emergencies, major disasters, or public health emergencies under three specific federal laws *based on climate change*. It directly affects the President and federal agencies that manage emergency declarations under the National Emergencies Act, the Stafford Act, and the Public Health Service Act. The bill's key provision explicitly bans using climate change as a justification for these emergency declarations, without altering existing emergency powers for other reasons. This is a procedural restriction on executive authority, not a change to climate policy or emergency response mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHR 4267, the "Protect Our Civil Liberties Act," repeals the USA PATRIOT Act and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, requiring the destruction of surveillance data collected under these laws about U.S. persons not tied to active investigations. It mandates warrants based on probable cause for all surveillance targeting U.S. persons under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and prohibits government-mandated "backdoors" in encryption technology. The bill also establishes annual audits of intelligence compliance, protects whistleblowers reporting surveillance violations, and bans retaliation against employees disclosing waste or safety risks within intelligence agencies. These changes directly affect U.S. persons whose data was previously collected under repealed surveillance laws and intelligence agencies operating under FISA.

Maddy summaryThe SAFE Act of 2023 extends a 2018 law that prohibits slaughtering animals for human consumption to include horses, donkeys, and other equine animals, such as ponies. It amends Section 12515 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 by updating the language to replace "dog or cat" with "dog, cat, or equine" in both the section title and the main prohibition. This change directly affects the livestock industry and slaughter facilities by banning the processing of equines for food. The bill modifies existing law without adding new enforcement mechanisms, closing a gap in animal protection.

Maddy summaryHJRES 44 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a 2021 rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The rule classified firearms with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles," which would have required additional licensing and regulation. This resolution uses a specific legal process (under Title 5, U.S. Code) to formally disapprove the ATF rule, meaning the rule would no longer be in effect. It directly affects firearm owners, manufacturers, and dealers who would have been subject to the rule’s requirements.